This is War
by Gypsy Dancing Girl
Summary: Set after Episode 20, disregards Episode 21 up until Renton jumps out of the plane. Talho got her two cents in. Renton/Eureka, Holland/Talho, implied unrequited Holland/Eureka. Complete.


**Title: This is War**

**Author: Gypsy Dancing Girl**

**Fandom: Eureka 7 (anime)**

**Pairings or Characters: Renton/Eureka, Holland/Talho, implied unrequited Holland/Eureka . . . Renton, Eureka, Talho, Holland, Mischa, Moondoggie, the Vodrac Priest, Maurice, Maeter, Linck, Nirvash.**

**Genres: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Friendship**

**Rating: T**

**Warnings: Violence, Spoilers for Episode 20**

**A/N: Written after watching Episode 20 at Anime Club a few weeks ago . . . again, I was too lazy to post. I knew that Renton was going to run away, but I was hoping that Talho would get her two cents in first. Episode 21 was a disappointment in that regard, but I still like the series.**

"Clean it," Holland ordered, throwing the mop and bucket at him. Renton staggered to his feet and obeyed, climbing into the pilot's seat of the Nirvash. Holland stayed on the floor to watch and make sure the boy didn't do anything else stupid.

The sound of retching had him leaping up next to the teen with a ready-glare, but at least this time the kid had thrown up in the bucket rather than on the floor of the Nirvash. Before he could do anything, Talho was climbing up beside him.

"Renton," she murmured softly, and the kid wearily looked up from the bucket. Talho surveyed the rest of the cockpit of the Nirvash and held out one hand. "I'm sorry, Renton. Come on . . . I want Mischa to check you over too." Renton didn't make a response, and Holland's grunt of protest was soundly ignored as Talho reached into the Nirvash and tugged Renton towards her.

"It can wait until he finishes cleaning the Nirvash," Holland interrupted, annoyed that Talho hadn't taken the hint.

Talho scowled. "No, it can't."

"I told him to clean it!"

"You clean it," she threw back at him, pulling the boy to her side in order to lift him down. Sometimes Holland forgot how strong she really was. "Or your precious Eureka can clean it once the Vodrac Priest finishes his work." Sometimes he forgot how extremely jealous of Eureka she really was.

Talho wrapped one of Renton's arms around her shoulders to lead him off to the infirmary, the kids watching in subdued silence. Holland swore and climbed into the Nirvash to deal with the mess. Maeter's scream had him out of the cockpit instantly.

The teen appeared to have passed out as Talho moved to catch him before he hit the ground. "Moondoggie," she called out and the blonde ambled forward. "Take Renton to the infirmary. I want Mischa to check him right away. Leave Eureka to the Vodrac Priest for now."

Moondoggie nodded and took Renton from her. Talho stood there for a long moment, watching them before turning back to Holland. He hadn't expected the sharp slap across the face. Then Talho flung herself into his arms, and Holland replayed the scene in his head, trying to figure out just when he had lost control of the situation.

"You always run away and take the easy way out. So does Eureka. All she has to do is turn to you and you relieve her of responsibility, you beat Renton for his supposed-crimes, and you let her learn to run away. The only things she's going to learn from us is that she's too special for the rest of us, to run away when things get hard, and to abuse Renton."

Holland opened his mouth to protest, and Talho drove her fist into his stomach. "She doesn't have to lift a finger to do it even. She mentions his name and you beat him. How long will it take her to learn to use you for vindictive means against the boy who has sworn to protect her above all else?! He just stands there and takes it. How long will it take her to hit him herself . . . knowing that the rest of us will stand around and watch?!"

"'Renton's done this to Eureka. Renton's done that. Renton's _breathing_ in Eureka's presence.' Renton's always to blame . . . Eureka never does anything wrong. So she's special-the world-so what?! Every time she experiences a normal human emotion, she runs away and punishes Renton for it. His life isn't exactly easy either! We're crushing his dreams, his ideals, and his life! He idolized you and you beat him! He wants to protect her and she ignores him!"

Talho reached up, grabbing his hair and pulling him down for a fierce kiss. "Think real hard about what you're teaching those kids. You're responsible for them. The rest of the crew will never question you." She pulled away with a glare. "But I will never be able to look at you the same if you continue in this way. I've defended you, defended Eureka . . . it's about time I defended Renton."

Holland watched her walk away. "When will you defend yourself?"

Talho stopped, but didn't look back. "You had better get back to cleaning." Then she continued on her way to the infirmary.

Talho waited patiently for Renton to wake up. Eureka feigned sleep behind her, but Talho was ignoring her. She was mentally rehearsing what she would say to Renton when he woke up. It was too late, but she had to try.

She had waited too long, waited through the ostracizing by the crew, waited through Eureka's snits, waited through the beatings until Renton began to close his mind off of his surroundings, waited to confront him after finding him so miserable in his room after the incident with the miner, waited to explain Holland and Eureka, waited until the Nirvash was back on board to have him looked over, waited too long.

That miserable broken expression when she had broken through his door to drag him back to the Gekko-go had stayed with her. Even as she hit him and yelled the whole hurtful story of Holland and Eureka's relationship. But Renton had risen above her. He had gone to rescue Holland because that was what was best for Eureka. Talho couldn't imagine helping her rival. She would have saved Holland because he was Holland and she loved him. Never for Eureka.

They were outside, her and Renton. The ones they loved were too caught up in being "Chosen" and saving the world to notice the ones who did all they could for them. So she could empathize with Renton. Personally, she hoped that Renton would run away. There had to be a better life out there than being the whipping boy of the Gekko-go. Let him get out while he could. Don't let him be too attached to Eureka yet.

"Exhaustion is what's making him sick," Mischa spoke up. "Fourteen year old boys weren't made for prolonged contact with sentient beings, living on the run, life or death rescue missions, and running around contaminated mine shafts without adequate protection."

Eureka's breathing hitched, but Talho ignored it. "No physical damage?"

"Just bruises . . . being beaten up regularly hasn't helped any."

"You never said a word against Holland either," Talho interrupted coldly. Mischa took the warning with grace and excused herself. The sound of the door opening woke Renton.

"Talho-san?" Renton looked up blearily. "The Nirvash . . ."

"Holland can handle it."

"I killed people."

Talho nodded. "This is war. We do things we don't like to stay alive. The KFOs would have killed you if you hadn't killed them." For a long moment, Talho thought Renton would be sick again, but the teen fought through it. "You don't have to stay here, Renton, remember that."

Renton closed his eyes, turning away from her. Talho laid a hand on his head, and spoke clearly. She wanted Eureka to hear this too.

"We're not good people. But I'm fighting so the kids on this boat, including you, Renton," and you, Eureka, "don't become like us."

Don't let our sacrifice be in vain.

**The End.**


End file.
